Cuttack, Aug. 5: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed the state government to clear the air over alleged "illegal private practice" by government doctors here and in Bhubaneswar.
The OHRC sought the clarification on a complaint, filed by Cuttack-based Odia Yuva Mancha's president Rohan Mohanty, after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) transferred it to the OHRC on the ground that the grievance was the subject of the state.
Mohanty had alleged in his complaint that government doctors in the twin cities were violating the conditions stipulated in their job rule by doing private practice.
"Medical officers in government employment are doing private practice without giving priority to their normal duties and emergency calls in odd hours, for which patients are not getting proper health care or treatment in government hospitals," the complainant had alleged.
The NHRC directed the OHRC for disposal of the complaint in accordance with provisions of the Human Rights Act, 1993.
Acting on it, the OHRC had summoned Mohanty to be present yesterday for a hearing on the matter. "After a preliminary hearing, OHRC acting chairman Justice B.K. Mishra directed the state government to apprise the commission of the steps being taken to ensure compliance of the conditions, in which government doctors had been allowed private practice," Mohanty said today.
"The commission expected a report from the health department's commissioner-cum-secretary within a month," Mohanty said.
The complaint mentioned: "It is unfortunate that the state government is not taking any steps for strict compliance of the government resolution."
According to the prevailing order, the government has allowed private practice with some riders.
First, "private practice of medical officers in government employment shall be without detriment to their normal duties and shall not be resorted to within the duty hours specified for them".
Second, "the services of every medical officer shall be required if called upon to attend patients beyond the prescribed duty hours in hospitals, in case of emergencies arising even in odd hours".
Third, "private practice can only be done in consulting chambers of medical officers preferably on their residential premises".
The duty hours for government doctors has been stipulated from 9am to 5pm with lunch break from 1pm to 2pm.
There are reportedly around 1,000 private hospitals, nursing homes and pathological clinics in the twin cities.
<>"Instead of undertaking private practice in their consulting chambers as stipulated in the government resolution, the medical officers, including assistant professors, associate professors and professors, are found doing private practice by way of visiting them," Mohanty had alleged.
